​Azolla Phi​lippines

What is Azolla?

Azolla is a unique freshwater fern. It is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet due to its symbiotic relationship with a cyanobacterium called Anabaena.

The bacteria Anabaena draws nitrogen from the atmosphere fertilizing the Azolla which in turn provides a nitrogen-filled home within its leaf cavities for the Anabaena . This enables the plant to double its biomass in as little as two to three days while free floating on water as shallow as one inch. Azolla‘s rapid growth makes it a potentially important livestock feed and green fertilizer.